Approximately 33,500 asylum seekers and other undocumented people live in Tel-Aviv-Yafo, of whom approximately 7,000 are children.

Asylum seekers face a harsh reality in Israel, living without legal status, access to vital health and welfare services, legal aid or secure housing. They do not have the support of family, or access to lucrative livelihood opportunities; most people from the community work long hours and collect minimum wage salaries.

Asylum seekers in Israel also face cultural barriers and language gaps, whilst living within a hostile social climate. Due to this uncertainty and lack of status and rights, these communities continuously wrestle with severe economic, physical and emotional stress.  

Mesila is a unique municipal unit run by the Tel-Aviv-Yafo Municipality. It was established by Mayor Ron Huldai 22 years ago and provides assistance and social services to asylum seekers and undocumented people. Mesila is part of the Social Services Administration at the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality.

Mesila's vision is to improve the quality of life asylum seekers in all aspects of their lives.

The services we provide include information, mediation, advocacy, the exercise of rights, humanitarian aid, individual, family and group counseling, and assistance in dealing with the various municipal and government agencies (education, health, social services). Furthermore, Mesila works to increase the accessibility of information on different subjects and advances and empowers the community through a variety of activities carried out with and for the community. Mesila is also engaged in raising awareness about the community situation in Israel, in addition to formulating and advancing national policy and conducting public information campaigns.

Our services focus on the most vulnerable segment of the asylum seeker community: at-risk children and their families, children with special needs and their families, and survivors of slavery and human trafficking. We are committed to improve the quality of life of children in early childhood and strengthen the existing frameworks and structures within the community.

Mesila’s activities are developed and implemented in direct partnerships with community leaders and community based organizations. The organization’s programs emphasize a localized approach to address the needs of the community while maximizing the community’s strengths and assets.

our social workers treats annually about 1,200 children at-risk, with an emphasis on children subjected to neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and extreme poverty. None of the families and children assisted are eligible for governmental social security allowances. The unit's main challenges are the minimal available means for assistance alongside the extreme poverty and great needs of most families in treatment.

our social workers treats annually 350 children with special needs (including siblings) and provided them with social care, helped them exercise their rights, referred them to assessment tests, found suitable placements for them, held support groups, secured funding for health insurance, and more.

the early childhood team works with the "babysitters" (pirate daycare centers) serving the community. The team holds courses and seminars for caregivers, provides tools and information for parents, and improves physical conditions and more. The unit also specializes in early detection of children-at-risk and children with special needs, advancing the transition from “babysitters” to municipal-government day care centers, working  with the community's afterschool settings  and providing orientation to municipal kindergarten staff.

The center assists mainly with the realization of individual and collective rights, initial social assistance and advocacy with an emphasis on: Children's rights (educational, health and social), women in the cycle of violence, health (children and adults), promoting policy changes etc. 

The community work team at the center advances and empowers the community through diverse activities held with and for its members.

the Center offers art therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to children treated by Mesila. The Center also runs a therapeutic playroom for parents and children.

many asylum seekers were abducted in the Sinai desert and held for ransom. They experienced severe trauma, forced labor, physical abuse and rape. Most of them suffer from PTSD, depression, acute health problems and other issues. The treatment provided at the Center is holistic and includes psychosocial, humanitarian, financial and legal support, group therapy sessions and social activities.